NAfter the change of government in Germany, EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen hopes, according to a newspaper report, for a majority for a Europe-wide quota of women on the supervisory boards of large companies. As the Financial Times reported on Wednesday evening, a bill that was put on hold years ago is to be revived. According to this, at least 40 percent of the supervisory boards of listed companies should be made up of women in the future. Small and medium-sized businesses should not be affected.
With the new traffic light coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP there is hope that Germany will give up its resistance, said the CDU politician, according to the report. “It is time to take this dossier forward.” The background to this is a draft that was discussed ten years ago.
First foray in 2012
Under the then EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, there was a corresponding initiative in 2012, which, however, was rejected by the German government under ex-Chancellor Angela Merkel (also CDU). At that time, only 15.6 percent of supervisory boards in Germany were women. There was no sufficient majority among the EU countries. Von der Leyen was in Merkel’s cabinet at the time.
Since 2015 there has been a women’s quota for supervisory boards in Germany – 30 percent for particularly large companies. In addition, the former grand coalition of the Union and the SPD agreed on a quota for board members shortly before the summer break last year.
There are no penalties
In addition to the change of government, the EU Commission is now also hoping for a tailwind from France, which has held the EU Council Presidency since January 1st. A gender quota was introduced in companies there in 2011, which has been 40 percent since 2017.
The EU Commission’s proposal, which has now been discussed again, does not include any sanctions for companies that do not comply with the quota. But you have to explain why you fail to meet the requirement. In addition, EU countries could impose penalties at national level. If there is now a majority among the EU countries, the European Parliament has to agree.